


Solitary

by Zanganito



Category: The One (2001)
Genre: Gen, Martial Arts, Post-Canon, Prison, Science Fiction, Solitary Confinement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-29
Updated: 2014-06-29
Packaged: 2018-02-06 15:49:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1863495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zanganito/pseuds/Zanganito
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel Yulaw was  the kind of man who always moved relentlessly forward.  Only, he never intended to end up in the Hades Universe...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Solitary

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own The One, or make any money from this fanfic.
> 
> A/N: I was very disappointed that there wasn't a sequel to The One, or at least another twenty minutes in the movie...so I decided I needed to write fanfic for it, lol.

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**Hades Universe: Stygian Penal Colony**

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* * *

The first time Gabriel Yulaw was put in solitary confinement, it was to keep everyone else safe. The guards had decided that the other inmates had enough cuts and bruises for the day, and they had dragged him away, leering at the others while they scowled back and tended their wounds.

The second time Yulaw was put in solitary confinement, it was for his own safety. Not that he'd lost a fight, but the other inmates had banded against him, more unified than they'd ever been, conspiring and waiting and watching for him to slip up. He hadn't, but three days without food or water or sleep was starting to drag on him. They cursed his name as the guards took him away, and Yulaw didn't say anything back since he still hadn't learned any of their names.

As he pushed Yulaw down the narrow stone hall, the guard joked that maybe Yulaw would be 'the one' to finally bring peace and order here. If only because the other prisoners were so unified in their hatred of him. And here in his cell, as the bars closed behind him, he was _the one_ , the only one, as the guard would remind him. Yulaw decided that his guard had a terrible sense of humor.

The walls were thick here, made of stone and deep below the surface. The cell was small, maybe five paces long and wide, enough room to practice XingYi for a few moments, but not enough to build up any momentum or travel far. Yulaw had always been direct, deliberate, and aggressive with his actions. A straight line was always the shortest distance between two points, and Yulaw knew how to close the distance fast, and move forward. Here he always ended with his fist against the wall.

There wasn't much to think about here. Just a cot, some water, a bucket, and the memories of all the times he'd killed himself; or rather, the others. Mirror images of himself, and yet none could quite measure up to him in terms of drive.

The first time Yulaw had killed an alternate version of himself, it'd been his job. He'd hesitated before pulling the trigger, seeing the man's eyes look wildly back at him, and he'd looked away as he'd done it. He thought maybe the image of that face, so like his own staring back at him would stay with him forever. But thankfully that had been overshadowed by the rush he felt right after he killed – the increased strength and power flowing through his body was intoxicating. It was a rush, amazing, and he knew he'd have to do it again. And again, again, and again.

Rodecker had helped with a few others, until Yulaw's "friend" was afraid of his power, and warned him to stop. Yulaw sneered at the memory. The Agent's only mistake had been getting in his way.

Yulaw reflected that if the Other, the one he hadn't killed were here, he'd probably have enough room in this small damp cell. He'd twist and change and turn and adapt until the circle fit neatly inside the cell. But Yulaw wasn't one to change for the Universe. He cut straight through, making his own rules. And pieces of rock slowly crumbled to the floor as he smashed his fist into the wall.


End file.
